Chris Rock Jokes About Alleged CEO Shooter Luigi Mangione In 'SNL' Monologue
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on December 15, 2024 at 12:30 PM EST
Nearly three years after the infamous Oscars slap, Chris Rock returned to the "Saturday Night Live" stage to host the show for the fourth time.
During his monologue, the comedian didn’t shy away from bold topics, delivering sharp takes on figures like Joe Biden, Jake Paul, and Mike Tyson.
Chris Rock also took aim at the high-profile case of Luigi Mangione, the alleged shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Chris Rock Addresses Luigi Mangione’s High-Profile Case In 'SNL' Opening
During his "SNL" monologue, Chris Rock quipped that “no one would care” about alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione if he looked like Jonah Hill.
“We got Luigi … you know. And that’s good. I really feel sorry for the family. I mean, everybody is fixated on how good this guy looks,” Rock said. “If he looked like Jonah Hill no one would care. They’d already given him the chair already. He’d be dead, OK?”
His joke came after Sarah Sherman, who portrayed Nancy Grace, covered the arrest of Luigi Mangione in the opening scene. In the sketch, Grace expressed shock while reading explicit online comments about the suspect, describing him as "looking like Dave Franco with Eugene Levy's eyebrows."
"Of course, everyone online celebrated the hard work of law enforcement in apprehending this dangerous criminal," Sherman's Grace said. "Just kidding, y'all psychos made him a sex symbol!"
She then conducted an interview with a witness, portrayed by Kenan Thompson, who claimed to have been at the McDonald's where Mangione was seen shortly before his arrest. "Women love bad boys," he said. "Back in the day, you could impress your old lady with a little poem. Now you've got to write a manifesto."
Who Is Luigi Mangione?
For those unaware, Mangione stands accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Hilton hotel in New York City on December 4.
Following his arrest, the Ivy League graduate’s photos went viral, sparking a wave of online fascination over his appearance. Mangione faces charges of second-degree murder, multiple gun-related offenses, forgery, and providing false identification to police, among others.
During his monologue, Chris Rock also told the live studio audience that Mangione allegedly “killed a man” who had a family and kids. “I mean, I have condolences … I have real condolences for the health care CEO. This is a real person, you know?” he said. “But you also got to go, ‘You know, sometimes drug dealers get shot.’ I mean, you’ve seen ‘The Wire,’ right?”
Colin Jost Mocks Luigi Mangione
The jokes about Mangione carried over to "Weekend Update," where Colin Jost quipped about the irony of the suspected shooter harboring anger toward corporate America yet choosing to visit a Starbucks and McDonald's.
“They found a note on [Mangione] expressing anger at corporate America,” Jost said, “Yet he went to Starbucks before the shooting and then was caught at McDonald’s.”
“So perhaps his greatest crime was hypocrisy,“ Jost joked.
Mangione is currently being held under maximum security at the State Correctional Institution (SCI) Huntingdon in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. According to corrections officials who spoke to CBS News, Mangione has not displayed any violent behavior.
Additionally, he is not on suicide watch or subject to any psychological orders. While not in solitary confinement, Mangione is housed in a cell by himself and does not have interaction with other inmates.
Chris Rock Mentions Jake Paul In 'SNL' Monologue
Rock also took a jab at Jake Paul for defeating Mike Tyson in their much-discussed boxing match last month.
“Who is this Jake Paul?” the comedian asked. “This 27-year-old punching a 60-year-old in the face. Is this what the white man has reduced himself to? Stop it!” he added.
“Who’s he going to fight next, Morgan Freeman?" Rock joked. "I hate Jake Paul. I got landlord hate for him.”
Luigi Mangione's Notebook Found By Police
According to two law enforcement sources who spoke to CBS News, authorities recovered a notebook from Mangione at the time of his arrest.
The notebook reportedly contained writings in which Luigi Mangione explained that he had considered using a bomb but ultimately opted for a shooting, believing it would be more targeted and less likely to harm innocent bystanders.
Mangione is currently behind bars in Pennsylvania while awaiting extradition to New York.